Ancient City of Aphrodisias

Categories: Excursions

Ancient City of Aphrodisias

Located near the village of Geyre in Turkey about 170 km from Izmir, the ancient Greek city of Aphrodisias is the ideal place to visit for history lovers holidaying in the area.

The city was named after the Greek Goddess of love, Aphrodite and was the site of an incredible Temple of Aphrodite which was built in the 1<sup>st</sup> century AD. The city was also home to a famous school of marble sculpture and become known for its beautiful sculptures made from marble that was taken from the quarry just outside of the city. Today, visitors to the site will find extensive ruins to explore. The city’s stadium is one of the best preserved structures. It was once used for athletic competitions, games and wild beast shows. Visitors will also be able to see the remains of the Baths of Hadrian. These were built in the 2<sup>nd</sup> century B.C and were once decorated with sculptures which can now be seen in the Aprodisias Museum.

There is also a well-preserved concert hall or odeon at the site which was once used for council meetings and performances. The building has 12 tiered rows of seats and was once decorated with mosaics as well as statues which are also now preserved in the museum.

Another fascinating feature of the ruins of Aprodisias is the Tetrapylon, an ornamental gate that was built in the middle of the 2<sup>nd</sup> century. The gate is comprised of four groups of four columns and was the structure that once greeted people when the approached the Temple of Aphrodite.

As well as the ancient ruins, the site is also home to the Museum of Aphrodisias where visitors will find many items which have been discovered during excavations. A visit to the museum is an absolute must as it allows visitors to imagine what the site once looked like in all of its glory.

Getting to this fantastic historic site is realitive easy as there are plenty of day trips from Kuadasi to Aphrodisias.